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CDC
and the CDC Foundation are pleased to announce the
winners of the CDC Childhood Immunization
Champions Awards!� This annual award recognizes
individuals who make a significant contribution toward improving public health
through their work in childhood immunization.
This
year�s Champions include physicians,
nurses, parent advocates, pharmacists, and other immunization leaders from 37 states
and the U.S. Virgin Islands.� We are
proud to recognize these outstanding individuals.�The select snapshots below highlight the
diversity of skills and backgrounds embodied by this year�s Champions.� View their full profiles and all of the other
winners on the Champions website.
LCDR Greg Sarchet, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist
Whiteriver Indian Hospital, US Public Health Service
Whiteriver, AZ
LCDR Greg Sarchet
has greatly expanded the immunization outreach program at the Whiteriver Indian
Hospital, building trusted relationships with the local community.� He has worked with pharmacists and pharmacy
students to schedule immunization days at childcare facilities.� Thanks to his efforts, the hospital has
administered over 4,000 vaccines at community events.
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Veronica McNally, JD
President & CEO
Franny Strong
Foundation
East
Lansing, MI
Veronica and Sean McNally lost their 3-month-old daughter,
Francesca, to pertussis in 2012.� The
couple turned their grief into action, creating the Franny Strong Foundation to
educate audiences about the need to vaccinate against whooping cough.� Ms. McNally was a driving force behind Michigan�s
iVaccinate campaign to increase the state�s childhood immunization rates to at
least 80 percent within five years.
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Tyawna Ackerman, RN
Clinic Nurse Supervisor
Jacobson Memorial Hospital and Care Center, Elgin Community Clinic
Elgin, ND
In order to make immunization more accessible to her rural
community, Tyawna Ackerman launched the childhood immunization program at
Jacobson Memorial Hospital Care Center (JMHCC) and its affiliated clinic, Elgin
Community Clinic.� Thanks to Ms.
Ackerman�s efforts, parents can get their children vaccines without having to
make long trips to other medical facilities.
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John Merrill-Steskal, MD,
FAAFP
Family Physician
Kittitas Valley
Healthcare
Ellensburg, WA
After completing a fellowship in vaccine science through the
American Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. Merrill-Steskal helped local
pharmacies and providers use the Washington State Immunization Information System,
presented vaccine information to staff in family medicine programs, and started
a vaccines project at his own clinic.� Dr.
Merrill-Steskal also promotes vaccination on his blog and his very own
community radio program.
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Cecilia Penn, MD
Pediatrician
Partners 4Kids
St. Thomas, USVI
Dr. Cecelia Penn bases her practice on the philosophy that
everyone contributes to the health and well-being of a child, which means all
staff are responsible for promoting childhood immunization.� Dr. Penn has trained her nursing staff to
educate parents about vaccine-preventable diseases and empowered her staff to
take ownership of vaccine ordering, cold chain management, and inventory
management.
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Contact Us
Questions or comments? Email IMZChamps@xxxxxxx
Visit us on the web at�https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines
PLEASE NOTE: Images included are trademarked/copyrighted or used with permission of the trademark/copyright holder and are not in the public domain. Please contact us if you have questions.
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